Preparations for Trump-Putin Meeting Shelved Days After Budapest Negotiations Proposed
Currently exist "no preparations" for American leader Donald Trump to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin "anytime soon", a White House official has declared.
Last Thursday Trump stated he and the Kremlin leader would meet in Hungary's capital in the coming fortnight to discuss the war in Ukraine.
A planning session between America's top diplomat Secretary Rubio and his Russian counterpart Foreign Minister Lavrov was planned for this week - but the administration said the two had had a "constructive" call and that a face-to-face session was no longer "required".
The White House withheld any more details on why the talks had been delayed.
Earlier Events
The US president had raised the possibility of a Hungarian meeting over the phone with Putin, a just prior to hosting Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office.
Some reports suggested his talks with Zelensky had been a "contentious discussion", with sources claiming the president had pressured him to give up significant territories of eastern Ukraine as part of a agreement with Russia.
Yet, on Monday the American president supported a ceasefire proposal backed by Ukraine and European leaders to freeze the hostilities on the present positions.
"Freeze the lines in its current state," he remarked.
Russia has consistently objected against freezing the present battle positions.
Moscow was only interested in "permanent resolution", Lavrov stated on Tuesday, suggesting that pausing conflict would merely represent a temporary ceasefire.
Negotiating Stances
The "fundamental issues" of the hostilities needed to be addressed, the Russian diplomat said, using Moscow's terminology for a set of extensive requirements that include the acknowledgment of full Russian sovereignty over the eastern region as well as the military reduction of Ukraine – a impossible condition for Kyiv and its European partners.
Zelensky stated discussions about the front line were the "commencement of dialogue" but that Moscow was "employing all tactics" to avoid diplomacy.
He further commented the only topic that could make Moscow "take notice" was that of the delivery of extended-range arms to Ukraine.
Strategic Factors
The Russian president's unscheduled call with the US leader recently came ahead of rumors that the US was planning to provide extended-range cruise missiles to Ukrainian forces that could possibly hit Russian territory.
Zelensky asserted it was the Tomahawks issue that had compelled Moscow to engage in discussion. The discussion regarding the weapons systems had turned out to be a "valuable contribution" in diplomacy", he added.